A sweeping redeployment of police personnel ordered by the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Olatunji Disu, is a bold and strategic attempt to return policing to the grassroots, rebuild public trust, and strengthen crime prevention across the country, a Nigeria Police Force/United States consultant and liaison, Busayo Mogaji, has said.Mogaji, who is also the chief executive officer of Western Eagle Limited, in a statement made available in Abuja yesterday, spoke against the backdrop of reactions trailing the mass transfer of officers across Commands, describing the development as “a necessary and long overdue recalibration of Nigeria’s policing architecture.
”The security expert said: “The redeployment may look disruptive on the surface, but in reality, it is one of the most important internal reforms we have seen in recent times.“What the Inspector-General has done is to deliberately move policing closer to the people, where it truly belongs.”The police authorities recently redeployed hundreds of officers from zonal Commands and administrative units to divisions and other operational formations in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, and other parts of the country-a move that has sparked debate within security and public circles.However, Mogaji insisted that the exercise goes beyond routine transfers, noting that it is aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions within the force.He said: “For years, we have had a situation where too many officers are concentrated in administrative and zonal postings, while the divisions—the real engine room of policing—remain understaffed. This redeployment addresses that imbalance directly.”He also highlighted the issue of prolonged stagnation within certain formations, revealing that some officers had remained in the same postings for over a decade.Mogaji said:
“In some cases, officers have stayed in one Command for 10, 15, even 20 years. That kind of stagnation affects efficiency, breeds complacency, and sometimes compromises accountability. Rotation is not just administrative, it is strategic.”According to him, the renewed focus on divisional policing would significantly enhance response to emergencies and improve public safety outcomes.Mogaji noted that: “Police stations are the first point of contact for citizens in distress, yet many of them lack adequate manpower.“By strengthening these stations, you are automatically improving response time, visibility, and the overall effectiveness of policing.”He further emphasised that the redeployment aligns with the globally recognised model of visibility policing, which he described as a critical deterrent to crime.He said: “When officers are visible, accessible, and embedded within communities, crime naturally reduces.“Criminals thrive in anonymity and gaps. This strategy is designed to close those gaps.
”Mogaji also underscored the importance of rebuilding trust between the police and the public, arguing that effective policing depends heavily on cooperation and intelligence from citizens.He said, “You cannot police effectively without the trust of the people.“Community engagement is the backbone of intelligence gathering. When people trust the police, they share information, and that makes prevention, not just reaction, possible.”While acknowledging concerns raised by critics about possible disruptions within Command structures, he maintained that such fears are outweighed by the long-term benefits of the reform.The expert said: “Yes, there may be temporary adjustments, but we must ask ourselves: what is the ultimate goal? It is safer communities and a more responsive police force.
“We cannot continue with a system that prioritises bureaucracy over service delivery.”He added that the move also reflects ongoing efforts to decentralise policing functions within the current framework, even as national conversations on broader reforms such as state policing continue.He said: “This is a practical step toward decentralisation. While we debate structural reforms at the national level, internal measures like this can immediately improve efficiency and bring tangible results.”Mogaji stressed that the success of the redeployment would ultimately be judged by measurable outcomes.“At the end of the day, it is not about how many officers were moved. It is about whether communities feel safer, whether response times improve, and whether citizens begin to see the police as partners rather than distant enforcers,” he said.
